TechnologyUpdated Q1 2025No state income tax

NLP Engineer Salary
in Houston, TX

Develop natural language processing systems for text analysis, chatbots, and translation. Median salary in Houston: $168K/year. Data from BLS, O*NET, and H-1B disclosures.

Median salary
$168K
per year
Take-home: $118K

Salary range in Houston

Entry level (25th)$125,000
Median (50th)$168,000
Senior (75th)$215,000
Top earner (90th)$272,000

Source: BLS OES 2026, H-1B DOL Disclosures Q1 2026. Figures represent annual base salary in Houston, Texas.

Key facts for Houston

Median salary
$168K
annual
Take-home pay
$118K
after fed/state tax
COL index
91
100 = US avg
State income tax
None
Texas advantage!
Avg 1BR rent
$1,250
per month
YoY growth
+10.2%
salary trend

Salary forecast: Houston NLP Engineer to 2030

Based on BLS 2022–2032 Employment Projections and WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025. At current growth rates, median salary reaches $168K by 2030.

Salary trend & forecast — Houston

Historical (2019–2025) + projected to 2030 based on BLS growth rates

HistoricalProjected
NLP Engineer salary trend 2019–2030PROJECTED →$141K$153K$166K$178K$190K201920212023202520272029
2026
$172K
projected
2027
$177K
projected
2028
$181K
projected
2029
$185K
projected
2030
$190K
projected

Projections based on BLS Employment Projections 2022–2032 CAGR and WEF Jobs Report 2025. Not financial advice.

YearProjected median salaryvs today
2027 projected$168,000+$0
2028 projected$168,000+$0
2029 projected$168,000+$0
2030 projected$168,000+$0

Projections use compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from BLS occupational outlook data. Actual salaries may vary.

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NLP Engineer Salary in Houston, Texas: Complete Guide (2026)

The median NLP Engineer salary in Houston, TX is $168,000 per year as of Q1 2025. This figure represents the midpoint of all reported compensation for this role in the Houston–TX metropolitan area, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics, H-1B visa disclosures from the Department of Labor, and O*NET occupational data.

Salary range for NLP Engineer in Houston

Entry-level NLP Engineers in Houston with 0–2 years of experience typically earn between $125,000 and $168,000 annually. Mid-career professionals with 3–7 years command $168,000 to $215,000, while senior-level practitioners with 8+ years of experience regularly earn $215,000 to $272,000 or more.

Cost of living in Houston for NLP Engineers

Houston has a cost of living index of 91 compared to the US national average of 100. This means your salary goes approximately 9% further in Houston than the national average. Crucially, Texas has no state income tax — giving Houston-based NLP Engineers an immediate 5–7% take-home pay advantage over workers in states like California (9.3%) or New York (6.85%).

Education requirements for NLP Engineer

Master's or PhD in CS or Linguistics. This role is 70% remote-eligible nationally, which can significantly expand the job market for Houston-based professionals.

NLP Engineer salary in nearby cities

CityMedian salaryCOL index
Houston (current)$168K91
San Antonio87
Dallas96
Austin110
Fort Worth93
El Paso82